USA in 2014: The Rebuilding Starts Here

[Hellerad]

Now that the US is out, what are your thoughts for the future?

Hopefully Donovan and Dempsey can stay young forever, but I think we have to start looking hard for new players to develop. I'm glad we have the youth that we do have: Adu, Altidore, Bedoya, Bradley, Castillo, Davies, Edu, Feilhaber, Findley, Holden, Johnson, Kljestan, Quaranta, Rogers, and Torres.

Also, there are some names that I hope will come into the fold in the next couple of years: Brek Shea, Tristan Bowen, Steven Lenhart, Chris Pontius, Dax McCarty, Eddie Gaven, Sean Franklin, Nick Rimando, Bobby Wood, and Christopher Ortega.

Ultimately I think we need to tap into some young, aggressive attacking options. We can hold our breaths and hope Davies and Altidore can build something great, but I'd love to create a new explosive attack mentality. After the match against Ghana, we simply do not have any dangerous strikers. It's a damn shame that Montero isn't American.

I would love to see other people's own thoughts and maybe some lively discussion of some of those I mentioned (Adu? Kljestan? Johnson? wtf?) I'm also pretty unfamiliar with the the current state of US youth development, so if anybody knows of any more up-and-coming talent, I'd love to hear about it.

Ignoring my fellow colonists for a moment, I'd also love to hear some fresh perspective from those finely-tuned football minds from across the pond.

 

[spikeman]

Don't forget Andy Najar. If he chooses to play for USA, he could be great.

 

[Nordecke]

4 years from now we will see some big names coming into the fold.. Luis Gil, Ike Opara, Jack McInerney, Brek Shea, and many more.. Donovan and Dempsey will be around for another WC, Maybe 2.. As well as Onyewu, Boca. Jozy is a good forward, just needs to play and be coached.. He(Jozy) NEEDS to know that he is not a super star and that he needs to be taught.. Adu is in the same Boat.. Charlie Davies WILL be are next great thing if he can make a 100% recovery.

On another note: I thought Bob Bradley proved that he should stay where he is as our National Team coach..

 

[spikeman]

4 years from now we will see some big names coming into the fold.. Luis Gil, Ike Opara, Jack McInerney, Brek Shea, and many more.. Donovan and Dempsey will be around for another WC, Maybe 2.. As well as Onyewu, Boca. Jozy is a good forward, just needs to play and be coached.. He(Jozy) NEEDS to know that he is not a super star and that he needs to be taught.. Adu is in the same Boat.. Charlie Davies WILL be are next great thing if he can make a 100% recovery.

On another note: I thought Bob Bradley proved that he should stay where he is as our National Team coach..

I agree, but his decision to start Clark over Edu was our downfall.

 

[Nordecke]

I agree, but his decision to start Clark over Edu was our downfall.

Yes, but he has shown throughout the Tourney, that he can change things up and make an impact mid-game..

 

[TX Bill]

I agree, but his decision to start Clark over Edu was our downfall.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that.

I'd say our downfall was our inability to keep the ball our of our own net. For that, we can assign blame to a lot of folks, not just Clark.

 

[TX Bill]

As for the USA going forward. You can pencil one name in as a starter in 2014.

Stuart Holden.

 

[spikeman]

As for the USA going forward. You can pencil one name in as a starter in 2014.

Stuart Holden.

He probably shouldve started this year. I thought he has played great for USA.

 

[davideinstein]

I don't think people realize that Altidore is only 20 years old. His game will develop immensely over the next four years. If we can get another run out of Donovan/Dempsey, then adding raw young talent like Gil/Adu we will be in good shape to make a run if placed in a favorable bracket. The future is ours and as the youth development continues to improve we will become a force to be reckoned with over the next few Cups.

 

[Hellerad]

I haven't given up on Altidore. But I do feel like he has regressed in his approach. I'm glad to see him building on his hold up play, but he seems to have lost his desire to bully defenders. Yesterday he just ran into traffic and fell down hoping for a foul.

He needs to find the right coach and the right strike partner.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

I agree, but his decision to start Clark over Edu was our downfall.

I thought I was the only one on this board that thought that. Clark perhaps a great human being had no place in yesterday's squad and the fallout to Bob Bradley selecting him has been immense even John Hawkes questioned it. Clark had been injuried quite a bit this year playing in Germany and his running around tackling with reckless abandonment finally caught up with him. A great MLS player but out of his element yesterday.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

I haven't given up on Altidore. But I do feel like he has regressed in his approach. I'm glad to see him building on his hold up play, but he seems to have lost his desire to bully defenders. Yesterday he just ran into traffic and fell down hoping for a foul.

He needs to find the right coach and the right strike partner.

Finishing is his problem at the moment even while playing at Hull City. Hopefully, he will bounce back like Eddie Johnson hopefully will but they may be left behind by other up and comers.

I'm Mixed on Bob Bradley at the moment. I think he deserves a chance to reconcile but the consensus by everyone I spoke with yesterday that he may have taken us as far as we can go under in him. I'm still devastated over the loss. But the lineup had everyone fuming simply stupid. Like I said on another thread Donovan was pissed over it. A full accounting will be known in the days to come.

 

[Rook]

I agree, but his decision to start Clark over Edu was our downfall.

Please explain to me what Edu does so much better than Clark then. That position was up for grabs and neither Torres, Clark or Edu lit the world on fire in my position.

I think we'll be fine with Altidore at striker. He's still very very raw and should be starting to come into his own around 2014-16.

If Davies gets healthy I think we are OK at stirker. Donovan has one more WC and so does Dempsey. Cherondolo is most likely out which will be a big loss. Maybe Adu gets his head on straight and works his behind off at the position he was born to play (either wing) and becomes more of team player. We need a natural wide player, especially if Donovan and Dempsey are going to be in 2014. Next to defensive gaffes not getting wide was our downfall in the Ghana match. Adu defo has the talent, and at the very least he should at least as good as Lennon, Park or SWP at this stage in his career.

Feinhaber may have barged his way into a starting spot though he's always failed to impress as a starter. Hopefully he won't become billy big boots after having a string of good performances like after the gold cup win. He's seemed to have gained maturity and maybe now he's ready for a bigger league.

Torres needs to learn physical play. What I was hoping for was that he was the only person in the middle of the pitch who could spray the ball wide to Dempsey/Donovan. However he wasn't ready for the WC.

Bradley should continue to get better.

Bornstein did well this WC. He gets torched if we have to play defensively but when we are on the attack he does a good job with his runs. If anyone on the team would have passed him the ball he might have been one of the US best players yesterday. We dont have much depth at the position so I think its his to lose in 2014. I'd like to see him get out of MLS even if its to a Championship side or a smaller Scandavian/Greek league so he could learn more.

DeMerit/Gooch probably one will start in 2014. I think its up for grabs right now which one it is.

Bradley defo has earned a praise as a national team coach and deserves an extension. The team has improved well over the past 4 years with him at the helm. Bradley never ducked a challenge and went out of his way to schedule tough friendly matches which helped the Americans get confidence against world powers.

I will admit that the one problem with National team coaches staying is that sometimes they always go back to the guys that helped them keep his job in the 1st place and don't try out the new guys. We have the advantage of being relatively young so I don't think that's much of a problem. From what I hear Bradley doesn't want to stay and wants to give it shot in Europe. If there is one American coach who could do in Europe its him in my opinion.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Benny Feilhaber had to start yesterday due to his form from the Algeria game. Notice the momentum change when he arrived in the game yesterday. Everyone noticed.

 

[TX Bill]

Please explain to me what Edu does so much better than Clark then. That position was up for grabs and neither Torres, Clark or Edu lit the world on fire in my position.

I think we'll be fine with Altidore at striker. He's still very very raw and should be starting to come into his own around 2014-16.

If Davies gets healthy I think we are OK at stirker. Donovan has one more WC and so does Dempsey. Cherondolo is most likely out which will be a big loss. Maybe Adu gets his head on straight and works his behind off at the position he was born to play (either wing) and becomes more of team player. We need a natural wide player, especially if Donovan and Dempsey are going to be in 2014. Next to defensive gaffes not getting wide was our downfall in the Ghana match. Adu defo has the talent, and at the very least he should at least as good as Lennon, Park or SWP at this stage in his career.

Feinhaber may have barged his way into a starting spot though he's always failed to impress as a starter. Hopefully he won't become billy big boots after having a string of good performances like after the gold cup win. He's seemed to have gained maturity and maybe now he's ready for a bigger league.

Torres needs to learn physical play. What I was hoping for was that he was the only person in the middle of the pitch who could spray the ball wide to Dempsey/Donovan. However he wasn't ready for the WC.

Bradley should continue to get better.

Bornstein did well this WC. He gets torched if we have to play defensively but when we are on the attack he does a good job with his runs. If anyone on the team would have passed him the ball he might have been one of the US best players yesterday. We dont have much depth at the position so I think its his to lose in 2014. I'd like to see him get out of MLS even if its to a Championship side or a smaller Scandavian/Greek league so he could learn more.

DeMerit/Gooch probably one will start in 2014. I think its up for grabs right now which one it is.

Bradley defo has earned a praise as a national team coach and deserves an extension. The team has improved well over the past 4 years with him at the helm. Bradley never ducked a challenge and went out of his way to schedule tough friendly matches which helped the Americans get confidence against world powers.

I will admit that the one problem with National team coaches staying is that sometimes they always go back to the guys that helped them keep his job in the 1st place and don't try out the new guys. We have the advantage of being relatively young so I don't think that's much of a problem. From what I hear Bradley doesn't want to stay and wants to give it shot in Europe. If there is one American coach who could do in Europe its him in my opinion.

Nail, meet hammer.